Chemicals Hot Spots - Promoting Environmentally Sound Management of Obsolete Pesticides in Pakistan

Chemicals Hot Spots - Promoting Environmentally Sound Management of Obsolete Pesticides in Pakistan

Partners: SAICM, BSI, EPA

Duration: Two years (First phase)

Location: KP, Punjab & Sindh (one site in each province to be specified)

Team Members: Dr. Mahmood A. Khwaja

Introduction: Industry in Pakistan is mostly either agro-based or agriculture-oriented, therefore, consumption of chemicals is also mainly in the agriculture sector. The largest chemical products consumed in the country are chemical fertilizers; pesticides too have a widespread use. Following the completion of an earlier study titled, Assessment and Mapping of Chemically Polluted Sites in Pakistan,? SDPI's project partners held a national workshop to review the scope of toxic and chemicals pollution problems in Pakistan. Participants identified pesticides, hexavalent chromium and lead as the three largest contamination problems in terms of human health risk It is estimated that a large amount of obsolete pesticides is unsafely stored throughout Pakistan and is located in the provinces of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, Sindh and the Punjab. Many of the pesticides are considered highly hazardous pesticides, or pesticides characterized by high acute toxicity and potential to cause illness, injury or death to humans and animals from long-term chronic exposure, as well as damage to the environment. High temperature incineration is generally considered  the most acceptable option for the disposal of obsolete pesticides. Incineration in cement kilns is considered by international experts to be an acceptable alternative, and one that would be readily available in Pakistan, as the country has a considerable cement industry.

Objectives:

• To promote the sound disposal and management of obsolete pesticides.
• To build capacity of the Government of Pakistan to address environmental and health impacts of obsolete pesticides in line with the obligations under the Stockholm, Rotterdam, and Basel Conventions
• To support the development of a comprehensive action plan to address obsolete pesticides at national level and build local and national capacity to address the pesticides related problems in a manner that is community driven and environmentally sound
• To minimize hazardous environmental and health impact at the pilot site and demonstrate how pesticides can be disposed of successfully, safely, and cost-effectively using local cement kilns.

Activities:

• Selection of priority chemically-polluted sites from the already identified 39 sites in KP, the Punjab and Sindh, by BSI & SDPI from a recent study.
• Identification and assessment of short-listed cement kilns for hazardous waste disposal
• Up-gradation/development of specific protocols required for test burning/incineration of hazardous material in a select cement kiln.
• Development of SOPs, feasibility/action plan/follow ups, training/awareness